1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical module and a process to assemble the same. In particular, the present invention relates to an optical module that provides a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA), and a process to assemble the optical module.
2. Background Arts
An optical module providing an SOA therein has been well known in the field of the optical communication, or the optical component. Such an optical module often installs an optical isolator to prevent light from returning back to the SOA because the returned light causes optical noises. The SOA is necessary to be coupled with other optical devices or components in respective facets thereof opposite to each other. When the optical isolator couples with one of facets of the SOA, the active alignment of the other optical devices/components sometimes becomes impossible because the optical isolator cuts light coming from the SOA.
Also, when an optical module implementing an SOA assembles other optical components as optically coupling with respective facets of the SOA, simplified processes and arrangements for assembling other components with the SOA are preferable because two facets arrangements sometimes cause failures and easily brings miss-alignment between components. The present invention is to solve those subjects.